Rain Dance
by ideomania
Summary: Fluffy OT4 dabble. Written because I'm a bit sick of constant trouble and danger and wish they could have a little carefree fun. Arwen if you squint and tip your head sideways alright, forget that last bit I'm not that subtle .


This is purely me messing around with the characters, it's kind of a fic about nothing and there's no dialogue. I want them to have fun together, desperately, and it's obvious that this was written before 2.11 and 2.12 (when the writer's began to torch my OT4, and personally I think that was premature. But whatever, it's done) so the characters are a bit more innocent. No magic necessary, just them.

I don't own Merlin because I would have burned his neckerchiefs by now (all of them) and made him promise not to wear any ever again or at least explain to me the _purpose_ of them...(besides soaking up spilled antidote...).

* * *

Gwen squealed like a little girl when Merlin dragged her into the rain.

Morgana made the mistake of laughing.

She shrieked when Gwen and Merlin each grabbed an arm and pulled.

The relentless fall of rain soaked through all layers of clothing in seconds.

The three of them stood there, saturated, hearts beating wildly, hair plastered to their faces.

They were due at the midwinter feast any minute now. Pity.

Merlin gave them a thumbs up and the girls burst into giggles. They were in so much trouble.

The sound of the band warming up carried into the courtyard and Gwen's chin took on a proud tilt.

She mock curtseyed and reached for Merlin's hand, arching her arm up and forcing him to as well, then she begun the steps to the simplest dance she knew…one even Merlin should be able to follow.

Morgana clapped in time with a grin – each clap spraying water – as Gwen counted out loud, leading Merlin in step around the watery cobblestones.

Merlin kept up with Gwen, his steps maybe not as precise but respectable for the state of their slippery dance floor. He twirled her as they entered the final stage of the dance, catching her swiftly when her foot slipped. She clung to his shoulders, he waggled his eyebrows and her head fell back as she laughed.

Righting Gwen he offered a palm to Morgana who accepted his silent invitation for the next dance with a nod.

Gwen swayed in time to the beat as she watched her friends whirl around the courtyard. It was too long since they'd just been allowed to be. There didn't always have to be a great big cloud of doom overhead.

She closed her eyes – it was pretty hard to see against the stream of water anyway – and took hold of the corners of her drenched skirt, spinning, laughing and breathing – in that order.

Merlin watched as Morgana was there to catch Gwen's arm when she stopped spinning and stumbled dizzily, linking it with her own and leading her into another dance.

Morgana's steps were more assured but somehow Gwen managed to look more graceful.

They easily mimicked the steps the young women of the court would be doing that night. Their version was striking despite the state of their gowns – the cool beauty and the glowing maiden in orbit.

He was bent over catching his breath as they elegantly spiralled around each other; their fingers pressed together, then their palms and finally their linked hands.

Merlin was too slow in getting out of the way and they spun into him, the collision sending all three of them to the ground and forcing the air from their lungs.

He found himself at the bottom of the pile, Morgana sitting on his chest and Gwen on his legs. They must have been fairly comfortable because it took a fair amount of wiggling around and a few curses before they climbed to their feet and offered him a hand up.

Merlin had opened his mouth to reprimand them for not looking out for where they were going when Gwen gasped softly looking over his shoulder.

Morgana followed her gaze and the smile dropped from her face.

Merlin really didn't want to turn around.

* * *

Across the courtyard under cover stood Arthur, looking furiously at them.

Gwen grabbed Merlin's sleeve when he turned to run and Morgana sighed, taking his other arm and they led him towards the prince slowly.

Then Gwen had an idea. The kind you can only get when you've been able to forget the rest of the world for a moment and you're not ready to give it up just yet.

Arthur watched bemused as Gwen let go of Merlin with a few whispered words to Morgana and approached him alone.

Well, if she expected any special treatment from him because…because it was her then she'd be _sorely_ disappointed.

Gwen reached him, a mischievous glint in her eyes – which was new…and made him wary. And curious.

She smiled softly, rain drops streaking down her face, he followed one as it navigated its way down her forehead to her nose to slide distractingly down from her top lip to her bottom one.

The next thing he knew she was holding out a hand to him, palm up.

Obviously offering him a chance to join the madness that had infected herself, Morgana and Merlin.

In fact he had little doubt Merlin hadn't instigated the entire thing.

He was just about to refuse, completely ready to mumble all sorts of motivating things about how unwise it was to keep his father waiting and stuff about responsibility and guests and things. Then Gwen licked a droplet from her lip.

* * *

Arthur chuckled as he twirled a beaming Gwen around the courtyard, he was soaked to the skin and his father was going to be furious when both he and Morgana failed to attend the feast…but the glorious thing was he couldn't care less.

They adapted their dance steps to better suit four people, Gwen helping Merlin when he tripped over his feet trying to make two moves at once while a giggling Morgana provoked Arthur until he faltered.

Arthur abandoned the steps and leapt at her, Morgana one step ahead as always scampered out of the way. He gave chase and Merlin and Gwen stopped to watch as Morgana evaded and Arthur gained ground.

Gwen had faith in her mistress, while Merlin felt that Arthur's sheer pig-headedness wouldn't allow him to give up until he was victorious.

A bet was struck.

Morgana's dress snagged on a pile of wood she was leaping over and Merlin got ready to look smug.

Arthur thinking his quarry trapped, slowed down and took his time in approaching her. Gwen shook her head in disgust…those who underestimated Morgana paid for it dearly.

* * *

Ambiguous ending satisfying or not?


End file.
